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A
financial statement from Ubisoft covers the revelation
from earlier that Watch Dogs
is delayed and adds that they will be delaying The Crew as well
(thanks nin via
Polygon).
An online action/driving game, The Crew was
announced for release early next year, but now they say it will be released
in their fiscal 2014-2015. Here's word on both setbacks: "Our long term
goal is to win the next generation. The tough decisions we are taking today to
fully realize the major potential of our new creations have an impact on our
short-term performance. We are convinced that, longer term, they will prove to
be the right decisions both in terms of satisfaction for our fans and in terms
of value creation for our shareholders. We are building franchises that will
become perennial pillars of Ubisoft’s financial performance. In a context of
growing successes for mega-blockbusters, the additional time given to the
development of our titles will allow them to fulfill their huge ambitions and
thus offer players even more exceptional experiences” stated Ubisoft co-founder
and CEO Yves Guillemot. He concluded “Fueled by strong momentum for PlayStation
4 and XboxOne, calendar 2014 will see the return of growth to the console
market. Combined with the quality of our line-up and our strong financial
situation, this growth will allow us to achieve record operating income in
fiscal 2014-15 and 2015-16."
A couple of demos came out on Steam earlier this month we failed to note at
the time. There's a demo for
Flashback and another for
Alien Rage (thanks Frans
for the reminder). There are no particulars on the demos, so here's word on each
game: Flashback
20 years after the original game’s launch, Conrad is enlisted back to active
service for the triumphant return of one of the most acclaimed franchises in
gaming history. It’s not a reboot. It’s Flashback re-imagined. The original
Core-Team revamped their own creation, leveraging the best of today’s technology
while remaining true to the classic side-scroller that set the standards of the
genre in the 90’s.
Alien Rage
Unleash a fury of powerful weapons as you blast your way through armies of Alien
forces hell-bent on taking you down! Battle through 14 intense levels and
prepare to face a barrage of beastly-sized bosses that will test your every
skill. Each of your 10 weapons comes with two firing modes and you’ll need all
of them! Battle hardened Alien forces will attack you from every direction using
various flanking and attack moves. Built with powerful up-to-date graphics
technology, awesome physics, destructible environments… experience a truly
intense, oldschool styled shooter game!
Nexon America has launched closed beta testing of Extraction, Splash
Damage's upcoming multiplayer online first-person shooter. The
official website is
where to sign up if you are interested in participating, and here is their pitch
to entice you: "Extraction’s closed beta will give players the opportunity to
experience the game’s Objective, Stopwatch and Execution modes across several
different areas of London. Players will be able to unlock a variety of Mercs,
allowing them to approach Extraction’s closed beta battles in different ways. In
addition to testing, closed beta participants will also be able to provide
feedback to the development team. ECHO, a powerful analytics and telemetry
system utilized during the game’s alpha period, will also be employed during the
closed beta to help ensure a fair and balanced playing field."
Ubisoft officially launches Closed Beta for Panzer General Online, Blue
Byte's upcoming online version of the WWII military franchise. Here's word on
this free-to-play turn-based strategy/card-collecting game played in a web
browser: SAN FRANCISCO – October 15, 2013 – Ubisoft has launched the
Closed Beta for Panzer General® Online, the upcoming free-to-play iteration of
the long-running PC game franchise, Panzer General®. Developed by Ubisoft Blue
Byte in close collaboration with Funatics Software, Panzer General Online
represents a new direction for the series, delivering WWII tank combat via
intense tactical battles and an all-new card collecting system, all playable for
free inside of a browser.
Aspiring tank commanders can learn more and register for the Closed Beta at the
following link:
http://cf.panzergeneral.com/en-US/homepage
In Panzer General Online, users will take control of legendary armored units
like the Tiger Tank or the Nebelwerfer rocket launcher in either single or one
of several multiplayer modes. The skirmishes are set in historically-inspired
battles such as Monte Casino and the Battle of the Bulge.
Zynga announces Solstice Arena is now available
on Steam, offering the
Windows version of their "speed MOBA" that supports cross-platform play with OS
X and iOS. Here's a
trailer and here's word on how they are trying to appeal to PC gamers: "From
the beginning, we built Solstice Arena to be a great PC gaming experience -- one
that was developed in parallel to the iOS and Mac game that players have come to
love. Now, you can play Solstice Arena as a connected experience across PC, iOS
and Mac. It’s the same game, played on the same server and most importantly,
it’s balanced no matter what platform your team is playing on. Check out the new
trailer, join the conversation on our forums, and prepare to fight." Continue here to read the full story.
505 Games and EKO Software offer
the first trailer from
How to Survive,
offering a look at gameplay that places players on a zombie filled island,
presumably off-season while airfares are cheaper. The clip explores some of
"Kovac's Rules" for survival, as word is: "How would you adapt to survive on a
Zombie infested island? Players must fulfil [sic] their most basic of needs -
food, water and shelter - and make use of anything & everything they can get
their hands on to craft & combine weapons and tools, from handmade shotguns to
fishing rods or Molotov cocktail; just to make it through the night. Along the
way players will encounter an ensemble of characters – some friendly, some less
so – including the mysterious Kovac; author of the How to Survive guide. Will
his work lead you to safety?" Continue here to read the full story.
A new official trailer
says hello to Goodbye Deponia, the coming culmination of Daedalic's
comedic adventure trilogy. The game debuts for Windows and OS X on October
17th/18th, and more details can be found on the
Deponia website. Continue here to read the full story.
- Dust: An Elysian Tail on
Steam. Save 66%.
- Terraria on
Steam. Save 75%.
Ubisoft offers a statement "directly from the Watch_Dogs development teams"
announcing a delay of the third-person phoner also known as Watch Dogs to
Spring 2014 on all platforms. Here's word: “Our ambition from the start
with Watch_Dogs has been to deliver something that embodies what we wanted to
see in the next-generation of gaming. It is with this in mind that we’ve made
the tough decision to delay the release until Spring 2014.
We know a lot of you are probably wondering ‘why now?’ We struggled with whether
we would delay the game. But from the beginning, we have adopted the attitude
that we will not compromise on quality. As we got closer to release, as all the
pieces of the puzzle were falling into place in our last push before completion,
it became clear to us that we needed to take the extra time to polish and fine
tune every detail so we can deliver a truly memorable and exceptional
experience.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you. We thoroughly enjoy
and appreciate the way you respond on the web, at events, press conferences and
during other opportunities we have to interact. Your passion is what drives us.
We can’t wait to see you in Chicago next Spring. We are confident you’ll love
this game as much as we love working on it.”
Stardock announces Galactic Civilizations III, saying the next
installment in the highly regarded space strategy series will be coming
exclusively to 64-bit PCs. No release date is specified, but the
Galactic Civilizations III website is
offering a Founder's Edition that includes beta access and a $10.00 discount or
a Founder's Elite Edition that includes alpha access, though the lack of
features and additional bugs carry a hefty premium, as at US$99.99 it is twice
the game's eventual retail price.
This trailer celebrates
the news, and speaking of celebrations, Stardock notes this announcement comes as they
celebrate their 20th anniversary, which is also being commemorated by a Steam
sale. Here's word on the game and how it will leverage 64-bit
PCs: Stardock announced the third installment of its award-winning PC
strategy game series today as the company celebrates its 20th anniversary:
Galactic Civilizations III, the long-awaited next chapter in one of the
highest-rated strategy franchises of all time. Coming exclusively to 64-bit PCs,
Galactic Civilizations III stays true to its core gameplay while adding new
features including multiplayer, political intrigue, vastly improved visuals and
much more.
"The move to 64-bit architecture heralds a new era of game development at
Stardock," said Derek Paxton, vice president of Stardock Entertainment. "The
technology allows players to experience a level of graphical detail and
on-screen activity unprecedented in large-scale strategy PC games. It
dramatically increases the size and scope of the maps, and opens the door for
modders to add a virtually unlimited amount of new content to the game."
Galactic Civilizations casts the player as the all-powerful leader of a
spacefaring civilization that must explore, expand and colonize new worlds
across the galaxy. Dominating rival alien species through technological,
economic, political and military prowess tests players’ cultural, ideological,
and diplomatic skills as they pursue victory via peaceful or belligerent means.
Galactic Civilizations III gives players far more detail in the textures,
models, and overall look of everything from the planets they colonize to the
fleets they command. New interstellar terrain elements on the hex-based map like
black holes and mysterious Precursor relics change the way players explore the
galaxy. A completely overhauled ship builder puts nearly every element of
starship design in players’ hands, while the new resource system creates fresh
opportunities to explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate.
Though the WARFACE website says
Crytek's upcoming free-to-play shooter is in pre-open beta testing (not to be
confused with closed beta testing), word is the game will be officially declared
live next week on October 21st. There are no other details accompanying the
news, they simply say: "Sign up at warface.com for instant access to the game at
launch."
Paradox Interactive announces early access to Magicka: Wizard Wars is now
available for early access
on Steam,
offering the first crack at this free-to-play strategy offering. Here's
a trailer and here's
word: In Magicka: Wizard Wars, two teams of four wizards each will do
their best to incinerate, refrigerate, and defenestrate one another in chaotic
combat, utilizing the versatile, element-combining spell system of Magicka. With
friendly fire in full effect, wizards will have to think on their toes and mind
their aim as they contend with imps, enemy players, and each other. With short
battles, skill-based spellcasting, and flammable friends, Magicka: Wizard Wars
explores all the ways that teamwork can go horribly wrong.
The developers of Magicka: Wizard Wars will conduct a Q&A during a live
streaming event on October 17, where players can ask which elements hurt the
most and/or taste the best as tart filling. Join the stream at
twitch.tv/paradoxinteractive at 9 p.m. CET (12 p.m. PDT).
Deep Silver and 4A Games have released the Chronicles Pack for Metro:
Last Light, saying the final DLC for the first-person shooter is now
available on Steam for
Windows and OS X, and the console versions are available on Xbox LIVE and the
PlayStation Network. "We hope fans of Metro: Last Light have enjoyed the
additional content," says Andrew Prokhorov, Creative Director at 4A Games. "It
has allowed us to experiment with some new gameplay ideas such as the ‘Ranger’
mission from the Faction Pack and the Tower Pack, and we have paid close
attention to all the feedback. But we think the Chronicles Pack will be the
fans’ favourite as it contains three unique story-based missions featuring some
of the game’s best-loved characters." Here's a bit on the pack: Featuring
three original solo missions, the Chronicles Pack invites players to step into
the shoes of some of Metro: Last Light’s enduring characters in gripping
plotlines that run parallel to the story of the main game’s protagonist
Artyom.
A new Edward Kenway story
trailer from Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag introduces more of the
saga of the main character in Ubisoft's upcoming stealth/action sequel. The clip
concludes touting special edition preorders, and giving an October 29th release
date for the last-gen console editions, which we are seeing reported as news,
though this was
announced last
month. What seems to be new is word that the next-gen console editions will
be released in November alongside the Windows edition. Continue here to read the full story.
Spiderweb Software announces Avadon 2: The Corruption, will be released
on Oct 30th for Windows and OS X, with an iOS edition of their epic-length RPG
sequel expected early next year, saying it "will be available on Steam as well
as other sources and directly from the Spiderweb Software website."
This trailer from a
couple of months ago shows off the game, and here's a bit on what to expect: As
a Hand of Avadon, the Black Fortress, you once held unlimited power. Your word
was law. Your homeland was united and prospered under the protection of the
Black Fortress. Now that fragile alliance has collapsed. Rebellion rages,
outside enemies gather, and Avadon lies in ruins. Will you fight to restore your
power and bring peace to your realm, or will you join the rebels and forge a new
nation? The decision will be yours in Avadon 2: The Corruption.
Avadon 2: The Corruption is an epic fantasy role-playing adventure in an
enormous world. Choose from five different types of characters, including the
new Tinkermage class, each with dozens of unique spells or skills. Explore a
gigantic world filled with secrets, artifacts, and a rich story. Experience
multiple different endings and ultimately choose between saving your homeland or
allowing it to fall and make way for something greater.
Continue here to read the full story.
My freefall picking NFL
games continues, nailing the Chargers in an upset last night allowed me to
squeak out a winning record for the week at 8-7, but I currently rank below
their guest slot, which is, well, not impressive. The mediocrity is especially
problematic: If I was a little below .500 I could justify making my picks out of
a hat, and if I was losing most of my picks, I could just start picking the
teams I think will win to lose, but as it is I guess I just need to keep relying
on my judgment, as much as it has let me down so far.
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